


Overtoun Bridge

by AwatereJones



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28446288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwatereJones/pseuds/AwatereJones
Summary: Just a one-shot based on this bridge I never knew about until a little article o it. Like Owen said... Creepy. In RL no one knows why the dogs jump, this is just my theory and probably one already debunked by someone.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Overtoun Bridge

"Overtoun Bridge is a category B-listed structure over the Overtoun Burn on the approaching road to Overtoun House, near Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It was completed in 1895 to a design by the landscape architect H. E. Milner." Ianto said calmly like he was reading it from a book. Jammy bastard could do that, edidic memory ya know "Since 2005, media publicity has been given to reports of a number of dogs either falling or jumping from the bridge, resulting in injury or death upon landing on the rocks some 50 feet (15 m) below; the bridge has also been the site of a murder and an attempted suicide. Explanations for these deaths have ranged from claims of ghosts and supernatural causes to natural explanations of dogs being attracted to the scent or sounds of nearby animals in the undergrowth, and consequently losing their balance on the sloping surfaces of the bridge's parapet."

Jack turned from the middle of the bridge and screwed his face up as he looked around and then shrugged, turning to motion Toshiko forward with the device she was swinging over the bridge's sides.

"So…it's creepy" Owen finally said "and dogs wanna commit suicide? So what, like elephants going to the elephant graveyard to die… dogs all trek here? Lost your dog? Have you looked over the Overton Bridge Falls? Creepy man!"

"From approximately 2005 onwards, stories of dogs apparently leaping to their deaths from the bridge for unknown reasons have been published online, the first of which – according to the Glaswegian organisation Glasgow Skeptics – was published in 2005, mentioned in passing in a forum thread about lesser-known attractions and destinations in Glasgow. The story gained prominence in 2006 following a _Daily Mail_ article on the subject[5], after which reported deaths of dogs being walked on the bridge received international media attention."

"I saw those articles, Ianto is right" Toshiko called back from the other side of the bridge, her glasses sliding to the end of her nose.

"A number of theories have been proposed as to the behaviour of dogs on the bridge. In 2014, canine psychologist David Sands proposed that the surrounding foliage – giving the in-reality extremely steep drop off the side of the bridge the appearance of even ground – combined with the residual odour from male mink urine in the area could be culprit for luring dogs to jump off the bridge. His theory was protested by a local hunter and resident of 50 years, John Joyce, who stated that there were "no mink [in the area]."[7] However, in an investigation by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Wildlife, RSPB Officer for the Isle of Mull David Sexton found that one end of the bridge reportedly favoured by dogs contained "nests of mice, squirrels, and minks." Furthermore, in an experiment in which ten dogs were exposed to canisters filled with mouse, squirrel and mink scent, seven of the dogs "all went straight for the mink scent, many of them quite dramatically."

"Suggestions of paranormal activity have also been claimed as a reason for the unusual behaviour of dogs on the bridge." Jack interjected as he rocked on his heels "Bob Hill, originally a pastor from Texas, stated that the scent of mink, pine martens, and other animals agitated the dogs, resulting in their jump onto the bridge wall: The dogs catch the scent of mink, pine martens or some other mammal and then they will jump up on the wall of the bridge. And because it's tapered, they will just topple over. Hill also stated, however, his belief that the grounds of the House held a spiritual quality, with experiences of the supernatural being common amongst people living in Scotland."

"I say again… creepy!" Owen snorted, turning to look at the one member of the team yet to speak.

Gwen stood by the SUV still holding the door like she didn't want to let it go, as if the mere action might throw her to her doom and Owen grinned as he wondered if that was because she was a bit of a bitch?

"In October 1994, a man threw his two-week-old son to his death from the bridge because he believed that his son was an incarnation of the Devil. He then attempted to commit suicide several times, first by attempting to jump off the bridge, later by slashing his wrists" Gwen finally said softly "I read about that one too. I agree with Owen, this place is creepy. I wanna go."

"Fog" Jack said.

"Mist actually" Ianto corrected "Coming off the water… Jack?"

Jack had walked to the edge and looked over, canting his head "can you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That… whistle?" Jack canted his head, his eyes closing "Can you hear it? So faint… like a siren."

Ianto stepped closer and without thinking much of it, reached out and seized Jack's coat, yanking on it until Jack stepped back and looked at him with surprise "What? I was not going to jump ya know."

"we can't hear it" Ianto said with concern "You can. Your hearing is more advanced… is that what they can hear? If you can hear it… what do they hear?"

"Well it can't be part of the bridge or it would have been there since construction right? Not since… Toshiko? You have a theory?" Jack asked as he saw her hand tentatively raised.

"The wind… the wind through the cracks in the stricture, created over time with the natural shift of earth and rain, water flowing … Owen we need…" Toshiko stopped talking as he waved a hand at her.

"On it" he barked "Gwen, get the listening stuff out, let's see how high this frequency is he can hear."

They settled to listen and after a while Toshiko grinned then pointed to the little screen "There, see? That peak is a high pitched tone. Like a whistle."

Ianto had stopped listening, walking around the bridge and then he called out to Jack "Can you still hear it?"

"No… what did you do?" Jack replied, then he walked over to Ianto who was on the opposite side of the bridge and looked over to find the large tarpaulin from the back of the SUV draped over the side, covering that side of the bridge. "Ah… blocked the wind. It's stopped."

"Great… no spooky-doos, no aliens… cracks. Great. This is what we are now lowered to… hunting out errant cracks!" Owen muttered as he started to pack things up and Jack grinned at Ianto.

Ianto knew it was coming but still he waited for it and Jack did not disappoint "I would let you cover my crack anytime Tiger Pants!"

There it was.

Now Owen was right, they were scrapping the bottom of the barrel here.

God, he never thought he would see the day when he wanted the Rift to wake up.

These down days sucked.


End file.
